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Avalanche extend home streak, down Wild

Oct 28, 2007 - 10:55 PM By Dave Reed PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer

DENVER (Ticker) - The last time the Colorado Avalanche got off to a start like this at home, the franchise wasn't even located in America.

Marek Svatos broke a tie in the second period, leading the Avalanche to a 3-1 victory over the Minnesota Wild on Sunday.

With the win, Colorado improved to 5-0 at the Pepsi Center this season, the team's best start at home since they were still the Quebec Nordiques and started 6-0 during the 1994-95 season at Le Colisee in Quebec City.

"It's a nice start," said Avalanche left wing Ryan Smyth, who had a goal and an assist. "It's not always how you start, it's how you finish. But generating points right now with divisional games is important. We've got to find ways to keep playing well at home."

Svatos snapped a 1-1 tie at the 15:30 mark of the second period when he backhanded a bouncing puck off Wild goaltender Josh Harding from outside the left goalpost.

Colorado captain Joe Sakic started the play when he sent a backhand pass from behind the right post to Smyth, who was able to get enough of his stick on the puck to move it across the crease.

Sakic extended his point and assist streak to five games, as the 38-year-old center has collected a goal and seven assists over that stretch. He has 33 career points against the Wild, the second-most of any player in the NHL behind Calgary's Jarome Iginla with 39.

Minnesota had a chance to tie the game with 2:58 left in the third period, but Avalanche netminder Peter Budaj was able to glove Wild defenseman Petteri Nummelin's wrap-around to keep the Minnesota winless on their three-game road swing.

"He made an unbelievable save," Nummelin said. "I tried to get it up and over his glove, but couldn't get it. I saw right away it was going to go right into his glove."

Colorado added an insurance goal on the power play at 19:23 of the final period when left wing Wojtek Wolski took a nicely placed pass from right wing Paul Stastny and flipped a wrist shot in the left crease past Harding, giving the Avalanche a 3-1 lead.

Minnesota originally knotted the game at 1-1 with 4:18 left in the first period on its second power play.

Wild center Pierre-Marc Bouchard took a pass from Foster into the left corner, then passed in the slot to Eric Belanger, who beat Budaj with a wrist shot high on the glove side just inside the right post.

Colorado had killed off 10 consecutive penalties and 30 of its last 32 before Belanger's goal, all of which was aided by the solid play in net by Budaj, who stopped 21 shots.

"Our 'D' and our forwards were doing a tremendous job of keeping the shots from outside and clearing rebounds," Budaj said. "I had to worry about the first shot."

"I felt that their goalie was great," Minnesota coach Jacques Lemaire said. "Look at Nummelin's chance there at the end. We tie, we get a point and the trip is different."